England v India: 1st Test, Day 1, Surprise!

 

England v India: 1^st Test, Day 1

Surprise!

November 9^th 2016

Last night was the night of surprises. Hilary Clinton was supposed to have Donald Trump on toast and India were supposed to have the 1^st Test all but won by the time that Trump had dried his tears. Things did not go quite as the pundits had predicted so confidently, either in the USA or in India.

A week ago the press was panicking on all cylinders and the Indian media and fans were happily predicting a 5-0 win for India despite the fact that India have never won more than two Tests in a home series. Undoubtedly, some of the more radical Indian fans were bemoaning the fact that there was not a Sixth Test to make the score 6-0.

What a difference a week makes.

England did indeed make the change to the top four that I had suggested and have paired Moeen Ali with Zafar Ansari. The only slight surprise is that Adil Rashid is preferred to the steadier Gareth Batty. The result of the batting shake-up was that the 30-3 starts of Bangladesh became a 102-3 start, with the increased momentum that that brings. This time, the middle order had something to build on instead of trying to salvage something from the wreckage. It meant also that Joe Root and Moeen Ali were playing against a softening ball and without six men around the bat.

India also made life hard for themselves with their selection. Having just two seamers is fine, but when one of them is injured and the spinners are not generating much threat, you cannot easily take the new ball when you desperately need a breakthrough because your only seamer has already bowled 19 overs and there is no seamer to support him at the other end. Yadav is a fine bowler and is far removed from the old days when Mohinder Armanath or Eknath Solkar would bowl a couple of overs with the new ball at a gentle pace to take some shine off the ball for the spinners: Yadav generates plenty of threat, but he cannot bowl at both ends and come on as first change. In contrast, England’s three seamers allow one to have a bad day and still give the captain the option of maintaining some control in the field if there is nothing in the pitch for the spinners.

Some things have come home to roost. India believed that just picking three spinners would in itself be sufficient. Indian fans boasted that Ravi Ashwin would destroy England – he may yet do it – but, after one day, his bowling average against England is threatening to climb over 50 again (currently it is 49.8 and rising). The Indian side looked short on energy and bereft of ideas and owed two of its four wickets to substantial slices of luck: Alistair Cook would have been given not out had he reviewed his LBW, while Joe Root was given out to a catch that many fans disputed, although it would have been harsh on India had Root escaped (mind you, Yadav would be advised to ensure that he has a firm grip on the ball next time before trying to throw it up in celebration).

Another was the rather bizarre and utterly premature suggestions by some England fans on feedback during the Bangladesh series that Joe Root’s place should be under threat after only managing 2x50 in his last 4 Tests (this says more about the short memories and ridiculously critical attitude of fans than of their cricketing knowledge). A wonderful century and a big partnership with Moeen Ali, who seems to get better and better by the Test, has put India under the cosh. Root’s last six Tests have brought 254, 71*, 3, 62, 26, 39, 40, 1, 56, 1 & 124. Moeen Ali’s last six Tests have, so far, brought 482 runs at 68.9 and 20 wickets at 33.5 and fans still question his place!

England may yet find a way to lose this Test, but India’s faith that they will win the series without breaking sweat is already beginning to be shaken. That though will be for naught if all today’s hard work is wasted should 311-4 tonight becomes 330-8 within half an hour in the morning. England have to get greedy and push past 400 and, if possible, past 480 tomorrow, allowing Alistair Cook to set attacking fields and not to worry if Moeen or Adil Rashid get hit for a couple of boundaries: both have their best chances of taking wickets when over-confident batsmen are taking liberties. It will also send the strongest possible message that England are no pushovers if Moeen too can get a big century in a total around 500.